Alpine Trip - October 2nd-7th 2008

TinyExplosions

Ok, I may as well go and put something a little more concrete down... I'm proposing a Boards alpine trip from Oct 2-7 -flying into Grenoble with Ryanair, and then giving us 3 full days for hitting the slopes, and one rest day.

Flights at the moment are free (takes bring them to 50 euro, which is 100 by the time you add a bag and a bike).

A quick google shows self catering Gites costing about 500 euro for a week (for up to six people), so the total cost is about 200 if we can get a group to go along.

Thanks to Diarmuid, we have some routes around Grenoble as well as loads of info about accomodation and stuff.

So, who's in for those dates?

blorg

Sounds good to me. If it's to be October the start is a better idea than the end.

toombah

Are ye going cycling or skiing ?

Not sure what the weather is normally like in October, but I flew in to Grenoble at end of April this year for a week cycling and all passes over around 1200 metres were covered in snow. You got at best a few hours during the day between 12 and 5 where the snow/slush had melted.

That said you can still get some pretty decent climbs around the Chartreuse region at that altitude.

Diarmuid

toombah wrote: »

Not sure what the weather is normally like in October, but I flew in to Grenoble at end of April this year for a week cycling and all passes over around 1200 metres were covered in snow.

Snow doesn't melt at 2000+ until end of May but (generally) doesn't return until end of October. You'd be very unlucky to see snow in on the 10th Oct. (or lucky if you want to ski)

emty

I'm in,sounds good to me.

blorg

Indeed, the passes that close end October only open in July! We most definately do NOT want to ski. Not on the bikes anyway.

ilovelamp2000

blorg wrote: »

Indeed, the passes that close end October only open in July! We most definately do NOT want to ski. Not on the bikes anyway.

I thought you were a bit of a daredevil

blorg

Rosco1982 wrote: »

I thought you were a bit of a daredevil

Not me! You may be thinking of BananaPants (avoid on descents, he falls like a rock.)

penexpers

What's the limit per flight for bikes on Ryanair?

niceonetom

fukkit, i'm in.

cantalach

Diarmuid wrote: »

Snow doesn't melt at 2000+ until end of May but (generally) doesn't return until end of October. You'd be very unlucky to see snow in on the 10th Oct. (or lucky if you want to ski)

Did you check out the infotrafic.com link that the guy on grenoblecycling.com talks about. At the height of summer, the Col du Galibier has been closed - less than a week after the Tour went over it!

niceonetom

cantalach wrote: »

Did you check out the infotrafic.com link that the guy on grenoblecycling.com talks about. At the height of summer, the Col du Galibier has been closed - less than a week after the Tour went over it!

yes, and there's snow on the top of mont blanc all year round! :eek: so the very high alps may be out, but there's a hell of a lot of riding to be done on the lower slopes. i don't think the weather will be a major problem if we're properly dressed and not too ambitious about the altitude we want to get too.

Chips Lovell

Sorely tempted, but at the moment it looks unlikely that I'd be able to go. If I were going, I'd be pretty disappointed if passes like the Galibier are closed. Taking on challenges like that would be the whole reason for the trip from my point of view.

Bourg-d’Oisans looks like a good place to base yourself, at the foot of the Alpe d'Huez and near all the major climbs.

Caroline_ie

I'll be in france ( I hope ) that week for my Bday - you can swing by Bordeaux

TinyExplosions

I've found a good site, bikes oisans, that's says the following:


Col du Lautaret
Altitude : 2 057 m
Open all year.

Col d’Ornon
Altitude : 1 371 m
Open all year.

Col de la Croix de Fer
Altitude : 2 064 m
Closed from end of october to early may.

Col du Glandon
Altitude : 1 924 m
Closed from end of october to early may.

Col du Galibier
Altitude : 2 646 m
Closed from october to end of may.

Col de Sarenne
Altitude : 1 990 m
Closed from end of september to early june.

And for the lovely Alpe D'Huez
April-December
Even in winter, by cold and dry weather, it’s not unusual to be able to ride your bike on the slopes of Alpe d’Huez

-so it looks like we'll be sorted for some nice climbs!

All I need now is a native French speaker to help me decipher the details of accommodation looks towards Caroline...

Caroline_ie

TinyExplosions wrote: »

All I need now is a native French speaker to help me decipher the details of accommodation looks towards Caroline...

Sure, just tell me what you need ... I do hotel bookings too ... ( I am a specialist ... do it for most my colleagues, rugby tickets, hotels, train tickets ... )

TinyExplosions

Caroline_ie wrote: »

Sure, just tell me what you need ... I do hotel bookings too ... ( I am a specialist ... do it for most my colleagues, rugby tickets, hotels, train tickets ... )

I'll mail you later -you're a star!

TinyExplosions

Looks like I've found some places in English... options are:

Option 1 -2 bedrooms, sleeps 6 runs about 444 euro for the week
Option 2 -4 bedrooms, sleeps 10 is about 634 quid
Option 3 -4 Bedrooms sleeps 12 but can take upto 16 (not 16 Adults), 2 Bathrooms (my preference I think) is 412 for the week.

If we go for option 3, it's cheap enough for the 4 of us (and we get a room each), and leaves it open to some more folk coming along, just making it cheaper!

Caroline_ie

Guys - do you want to go for a cycling trip in April 2009 in the Pyrenees ?? I am thinking Biarritz/ St Jean de Luz... Hills, Hills, Hiils, Surfers, Ice creams, and wonderful scenery ...

Chips Lovell

TinyExplosions wrote: »

Looks like I've found some places in English...

And none of them with a hot tub??? What's going on

Caroline_ie wrote: »

Guys - do you want to go for a cycling trip in April 2009 in the Pyrenees ?? I am thinking Biarritz/ St Jean de Luz... Hills, Hills, Hiils, Surfers, Ice creams, and wonderful scenery ...

Can we stay with your Ma?

TinyExplosions

el tonto wrote: »

And none of them with a hot tub??? What's going on

It's not Killarney we're goin to!

Caroline_ie

el tonto wrote: »

Can we stay with your Ma?

Depending how many people we are ... I am sure 2 people + me can stay, but april is the quiet season so, the hotels are cheap w/ little tourists and Ryan air flights start at the end of march.

blorg

Caroline_ie wrote: »

Guys - do you want to go for a cycling trip in April 2009 in the Pyrenees ?? I am thinking Biarritz/ St Jean de Luz... Hills, Hills, Hiils, Surfers, Ice creams, and wonderful scenery ...

I have done the road from Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port to Pamplona which had a bit of a hill in the way but I think that's an easy one

If we were doing the Pyrenees I think we would need to look at the Raid Pyrénéen. 710km, 15 (some say 18?) cols, 100 hours to get it done. I read a very good report of this recently if I could only dig it out (it sounds quite managable, honest, with a proper night's sleep each night.) You can do it independently I believe, you just get a card and get it stamped at certain places.

blorg

TinyExplosions wrote: »

Looks like I've found some places in English... options are:

Option 1 -2 bedrooms, sleeps 6 runs about 444 euro for the week
Option 2 -4 bedrooms, sleeps 10 is about 634 quid
Option 3 -4 Bedrooms sleeps 12 but can take upto 16 (not 16 Adults), 2 Bathrooms (my preference I think) is 412 for the week.

If we go for option 3, it's cheap enough for the 4 of us (and we get a room each), and leaves it open to some more folk coming along, just making it cheaper!

Option 3 looks good to me.

Caroline_ie

blorg wrote: »

I have done the road from Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port to Pamplona which had a bit of a hill in the way but I think that's an easy one

After the winter, maybe *easy* is the way to go Raid Pyrénéen looks doable ... I guess if I continue training. I have a whole month off sabbatical to take in spring 2009 so I am planing to take a cycling trip there anyway.

zzzzzzzz

blorg wrote: »

I have done the road from Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port to Pamplona which had a bit of a hill in the way but I think that's an easy one

If we were doing the Pyrenees I think we would need to look at the Raid Pyrénéen. 710km, 15 (some say 18?) cols, 100 hours to get it done. I read a very good report of this recently if I could only dig it out (it sounds quite managable, honest, with a proper night's sleep each night.) You can do it independently I believe, you just get a card and get it stamped at certain places.

Was this report by some guy out of orwell?

It sounded savage!

blorg

aidan.offbeat wrote: »

Was this report by some guy out of orwell?

It sounded savage!

Yes, it was - Stephen McNally did it in 2005. Found the link, bottom of this page.

TinyExplosions

Also, the bus transfer from the Airport to our Chalet runs at 225 each way for a minivan holding 4 and our bikes (56 each).

Totals are looking at about 300 quid each for the 4 of us, getting cheaper if there's more... anyone else outside Emty, Blorg, niceonetom and myself up for a lil holiday?

Chips Lovell

blorg wrote: »

...it sounds quite managable, honest..

This should go on your tombstone.

zzzzzzzz

There's another one there that's also very good:
http://www.orwellwheelers.org/Text/A%20week%20in%20the%20Alps.doc

Diarmuid

TinyExplosions wrote: »

Also, the bus transfer from the Airport to our Chalet runs at 225 each way for a minivan holding 4 and our bikes (56 each).

Check out ADA or Hertz. You should be able to get a van for around €200 for the week.

TinyExplosions

Diarmuid wrote: »

Check out ADA or Hertz. You should be able to get a van for around €200 for the week.

You're a mine of information sir -and Emty drives!

Caroline_ie

I think you might be better off renting once you get there so you have fun with the left hand drive

blorg

aidan.offbeat wrote: »

There's another one there that's also very good:
http://www.orwellwheelers.org/Text/A%20week%20in%20the%20Alps.doc

I read that one too. Best bit is the stem bolt snapping on a fast descent :eek:

zzzzzzzz

blorg wrote: »

I read that one too. Best bit is the stem bolt snapping on a fast descent :eek:

Yeah - lucky guy!

I've probably posted about this before but that guy who's stem bolt snapped, Dave McLoughlin, attempted to cycle Dublin - Cape Town earlier this year. He kept a fairly interesting Journal of his trip - great for reading in work!

http://www.crazyguyonabike.com/doc/Hatchetsholidays

TinyExplosions

aidan.offbeat wrote: »

Yeah - lucky guy!

I've probably posted about this before but that guy who's stem bolt snapped, Dave McLoughlin, attempted to cycle Dublin - Cape Town earlier this year. He kept a fairly interesting Journal of his trip - great for reading in work!

http://www.crazyguyonabike.com/doc/Hatchetsholidays

Damnit, there goes my work day